Safety cranking device for motor-vehicles.



J. P. CARSON.

SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23. 19.15.

Patented Nov. 21, l916.

nur i JOSEPH P. CARSON, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGNA..

SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patentet'i Nov. 2i?, italo..

Application filed December 23, 1915.' Serial No. 68,385.

ing Devices for lVlotor-'Vehiclcs; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use thesame. l

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter describedreference being had to the accompanying drawings in which l have shownone form or embodiment of my invention selected by me for purposes ofillustration, and the said invention is .fully disclosed in thefollowing description and claims. l

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view partly insection ofthe front portion of a motor vehicle showing a portion of Y the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and my improved safety crankmechanism, applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic drawing, showingperspec tive views of the crank ratchet Wheel and cam lug and asectional view of a portion of the lug track or guide. Fig. 3 is anenlarged side view, partly in section, of the operating parts assembledand showing the same in po# sition to commence cranking the engine.

ln cranking upl or starting an explosive engine, by means of theordinary hand crairk, there is great danger of the charge igniting andexploding prematurely, as the piston is approaching the head of thecylinbetween the engine shaft and hand crank, A

mechanism including as one of its elements, a loose pawl which willautomatically throw the cranlc'foutof engagement with the engine shaftwhen a back-fire or the like occurs in the engine cylinder or cylinders.

lV ith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thenature of my improvement is better understood, the irc vention residesin the novel combination and arrangement 'of parts hereafter described,it being understood that changes in the precise details of theconstruction disclosed may be made, Without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention.

V Before proceeding with a more detailed description, it may. be stated,that in the form of my improvement herein shown, l employ a crank shaftand crank for the vehicle, vof ordinary construction, special means,preferably a loose pawl, being eniployed for throwing out the crankwhen-the engine shaft reverses, whereby accidents will be prevented. Theconstruction and organization of the usual parts of the vehicle, towhich my improvement may be applied, does not require alteration orchange in any way, since my improvement is practically in the nature ofaii attachment, adapted for use in connection with almost any type ofmotor vehicle. y

In the drawing the reference numeral l designates the engine shaft of aninternal combustion engine, employed for driving a. motor vehicle, and 2represents the ordinary rclutch member upon the front end of the same. i

3 is the usual starting crank, which is mounted to rotate in a bearings,in the frame of the vehicle and is provided at its rear-end, with aclutch member 5, which is secured to the same by means of a pin. 6.

The mechanism i ust described is that or dinarily employed and myimprovements which will now be set forth, are applied thereto. Mountedupon the crank 3, and adjustably held thereon by a screw 7, is disk 8,provided on its rear face near its periphery, with ratchet teeth 9. A.spring 10, is coiled around said shaft between said disk, and the frontof theveliicle, for normally maintaining the clutch member 5, of thecrank, out of engagement with the clutch member 2, of the engine shaft.By adjusting said Adisk along the crank, the tension of the spring maybe varied, as desired.

Secured to thehood or .front of the vehicle, by any suitable means andsurrounding the crank, is an annular ring ll, which is provided on itsfront face with. a circular recess or channel 12, having in its bottom,the ratchet teeth 13, and a movable tooth vor pawl la is mountediii-said' channel, and

.to start the engine, the handle 16 ofthe crank is grasped by theoperator, and moved longitudinally against'the tension of the spring 10,until the members 2 and 5 are unitech'at which time the teeth 9 of thedisk 8 will also be brought into engagement with the loose paWl or.tooth 14. Now., When the crank is turned, in the usual manner, theloose paWl 14 Will be readily moved around its track or guide by theteeth of the disk 8. This will be vcontinued until the motor hasstarted, When the rapid turning of the engine, shaft Will throw thecrank back to its normal position. however, if there should be aback-fire in the engine and the engine shaft reversed, the nose 15, ofthe tooth 14C, would immediately lock on the tooth 13 of the channelring 11, over which it is traveling, and the tooth 9 of the disk 8, withwhich the loose pawl 14 Was in engagement, would be released from said.pawl and the inclined face of the adjacent tooth 9 would ride over 'saidpawl and automatically force the disk 8 away from the pawl and theclutch member 5 away from the clutch member 2 of the engine shaft, in amanner which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I do-not restrict myself to the particular During the cranking,k

arrangement of mechanism illustrated, inasmuch as any skilled mechanicafter having been shown the possibility of automatically disconnectingthe crank 'and engine shaft, can devise other mechanism for the samepurpose, but still within the scope of my invention.

lWhat l: claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Thecombination with an internal combustion engine and its shaft, of aclutch member provided on said shaft, a crank provided With a clutchmember for engaging said shaft clutch member, a ratchet device mountedon said crank, a ,channel shaped toothed ring rigidly mounted adjacentto said ratchet device, and a loose pawl mounted in said channel ringand adapted to be moved in one direction over the teeth of said ring bysaid ratchet device and to lock in engagement with the teeth of saidring when said ratchet device is moved in the opposite direction.

2. The combination with an internal combastion engine and its shaft, ofa clutch member provided on said shaft, a crank provided with a clutchmember for engaging said shaft clutch member, a ratchet Wheel rigidlymounted on said crank, a channel shaped ring rigidly mounted adjacent tosaid ratchet Wheel and provided in the bottom of its channel with teethand a loose pavvl provided With a nose adapted to be moved in onedirection over the teeth of said ring by said ratchet wheel and its noseto lock in engagement with the teeth of Said ring when said ratchetWheel is moved in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH l. CARSON.

